refore cast away
all by-respects. The apostle John includes their excuses under three
different expressions, "The pride of life," including the farm; "The
lust of the heart," including the merchandise; and "The lust of the
flesh," including the marriage. Therefore let every soul that would love
and follow Christ, deny himself, and lay aside excuses. Deny thy own
wit, will, and vanities, and lay aside all by-respects, and I shall
warrand thou shalt come running, and get Christ in thy arms. 2. Is it a
respect to prelacy that hinders thee, O Scotland? cursed be the day that
ever they were born. 3. Is it a respect to the novations already come
into Scotland? I may say cursed be these brats of Babel. It had been
best to have rent them at the beginning, for many woful days have they
brought on, and woful divisions have they brought in, and woful
backslidings have they occasioned. Therefore away with these
by-respects. 4. Is it a respect to the king? The Lord bless our king.
Says not the covenant enough for the maintenance of the king? As for the
word which they call combinations, it reserves always the honour of God,
and the honour of the king; protesting, that we mind nothing that may
tend to the diminution of the king's greatness and authority. Yea, I
know no other means under heaven to make many loyal subjects, but by
renewing our covenant.

I would have had the men that made these excuses framing them another
way; I would have had him that married the wife, saying, My wife has
married me; and he that bought his oxen, saying, My oxen have bought me;
and he that went to his farm, saying, My farm has bought me. And if ye
will mark the words, ye will find them run this way. 1. Marriage is
lawful; but when a man beasts himself in his carnal pleasures, then the
wife marries the man; "therefore let them that have wives, be as though
they had them not, and them that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not."
2. Buying of farms is lawful, but when a man becomes a slave to his own
gain, it takes away the soul of him, the farm buys the man; likewise
husbandry is lawful, but when a man yokes his neck under the world, it
trails and turmoils him so, that he cannot take on the yoke of Jesus. 3.
Thus also the merchandise buys the man. Then, for Jesus Christ's sake,
cast away all excuses, and come away now, and marry Christ. 1. Away with
thy bastard pleasures. 2. Away with thy bastard cares, and come away to
Christ, and He shall season all th